Electronic medic alert

• US 7,719,414 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Keith Shane, Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/505,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 340524-525, 340/506, 340988-990, 340/531, 34028601-28602, 340/287, 340/293, 340/294, 340/825, 340/3.1, 340/825.36, 455/507, 455/517, 455/521, 4554041-4042, 455/403, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 340/525
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A device and method for sending medic alert information electronically. The device may have a memory component and a processing component. The memory component may store medic alert information. The processing component may generate an electronic message containing the medic alert information and send the electronic message via a communications network. The device may also have an input component for receiving a user request to initiate a connection with an emergency contact, such as a 911 dispatcher. The electronic message may be automatically generated and sent in response to the user request.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device for sending medic alert information electronically, comprising:

a memory component, stored in the mobile communications device, configured to store medic alert information for a plurality of individuals, the medic alert information comprising medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals and a predetermined input code respectably associated with the medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals, the medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals being individually accessible from the memory, wherein the predetermined input code comprises a prefix and a suffix and one of the prefix or the suffix identifies the associated medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals; and

a processing component, stored in the mobile communications device, configured to, responsive to receiving a selected predetermined input code, generate an electronic message comprising medical information associated with the selected predetermined input code, and to send the electronic message via a communications network.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input component for receiving a user request to initiate a connection with an emergency contact, wherein the electronic message is automatically generated and sent in response to the user request.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the emergency contact is at least one of a 911 dispatcher and a 311 dispatcher.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory component comprises at least one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and an integrated internal memory module.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the medic alert information comprises a medical history.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the medic alert information comprises at least one of a name, a date of birth, an age, an emergency contact, an emergency contact number, a known allergy, a preexisting medical condition, a medication, and a primary care physician.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic message comprises at least one of an email, a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia message service (MMS) message, an instant message, and a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component sends the message to a predetermined location in the communications network for further routing to an emergency contact that is associated with a geographic area in which the device is located.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component requests an electronic address of an emergency contact from the communications network, wherein the emergency contact is associated with a geographic area in which the device is located.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications network comprises at least one of an intranet, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellular network, and a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network.

11. A method for sending medic alert information electronically, comprising:

storing medic alert information for a plurality of individuals in a memory component of a mobile communications device, the medic alert information comprising medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals and a predetermined input code respectably associated with the medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals, the medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals being individually accessible from the memory component, wherein the predetermined input code comprises a prefix and a suffix and one of the prefix or the suffix identifies the associated medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals;

initiating a connection with an emergency contact over a communications network;

responsive to receiving a selected predetermined input code, generating an electronic message comprising medical information associated with the selected predetermined input code; and

sending the electronic message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic message is sent to a predetermined location in the communications network for further routing to the emergency contact and wherein the emergency contact is associated with a geographic area in which the electronic message was generated.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising requesting an electronic address of the emergency contact from the communications network, wherein the emergency contact is associated with a geographic area in which the electronic message was generated.

14. A method for sending medic alert information electronically, comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile communications device to establish a connection with an emergency contact;

determining a location of the mobile communications device;

determining an electronic address of the emergency contact based on the location of the communications device; and

routing over a communications network an electronic message, generated responsive to receiving a selected predetermined input code, containing medic alert information to the electronic address of the emergency contact, the medic alert information comprising medical information for each one of a plurality of individuals and the predetermined input code respectably associated with the medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals, wherein the predetermined input code comprises a prefix and a suffix, wherein either the prefix or the suffix identifies the associated medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals, wherein the medic alert information is stored in a memory component of a mobile communications device, the medical information for each one of the plurality of individuals being individually accessible from the memory, wherein the medic alert information is associated with an individual other than a subscriber of the communications device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the medic alert information.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising identifying the subscriber of the communications device and automatically generating the electronic message after receiving the request from the communications device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the electronic message from the communications device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending the electronic address of the emergency contact to the communications device.